1  | 

I found this helpful Thank You! Your vote will be tallied soon!

Mama and the Cheese read a Legos comic book.

Today was Pajama Day at school.  All of the students were allowed to wear pajamas to go along with celebrating Read Across America day.  (Read Across America Day is in early March, but the Cheese's school is celebrating early because of parent/teacher conferences.)  The day will be all about reading--hence the idea of pajama day, encouraging students to cuddle up with a good book.

Created through the National Education Association, Read Across America is an "annual reading motivation and awareness program" that is always set around Dr. Seuss's birthday.  The NEA provides all sorts of great resources for the schools.  At the Cheese's school the teachers are performing skits about one of Dr. Seuss's many tales in an all school assembly.  The main idea behind Read Across America: gets kids excited about reading.

When I was teaching, we had a similar Pajama Day for Read Across America.  I told my fifth graders to wear their pajamas and bring whatever kind of reading material (as long as it was appropriate) to school.  They were also allowed to bring something comfy to sit or lay on like a favorite pillow or sleeping bag and could also bring snacks to eat.

For one day, we put aside the regular curriculum and did nothing but read all day.  We pushed all of the desks out of the way and each student found their reading spot.  It was such a great day--the room was peaceful with twenty 11- to 12-year olds lying around the room quietly reading.  We of course visited the library that day and I spent a lot of time reading aloud one of the Harry Potter books (this was the mid-90's when Harry Potter books were really getting popular.) 

Usually, I would read a little each day to the kids when they came in from recess.  After about ten minutes, I would have to stop so that we could move on to the hundred other things that we needed to accomplish.  But Read Across America was a day that I could read and read aloud to the students and not have to stop.  Needless to say, my students loved it.

I love that schools today have these kinds of programs.  When I was growing up, reading was a "have to" not a "get to."  You had to read for a book report or an assignment.  I never saw it as a fun thing.  It was just something that you learned to do so you could read your Social Studies textbook.  I was never excited to do it and dreaded book reports and anything else associated with having to read.  Thank goodness that changed the older I got.

I am so glad that my boys are growing up in an educational system that make reading a priority, and more importantly makes it fun!  It still floors me that the Cheese--only half-way through kindergarten--is already reading!  And I know that days like today will only encourage him to want to read more.   

Kindergarten Chronicles a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | i | j | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r | s | t | u | v | w | x | y | z